Corn-harvester.



J. H DOWNING.

CORN HARVESTER. APPLICATION @1150 OCT. 25. 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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J. H. DOWNING.

CORN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 25. 1915.

1 1 79,4 1 O. ,Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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JOHN H. DOWNING, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO STATE OF MINNESOTA.

CORN-HARVESTER.

Application filed October 25, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN H. DOWNING, subject of the King of England, resident of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a corn harvester of the type wherein a longitudinal platform inclined upward and stubbleward is provided with a binder deck extending stubbleward from the rear end of the platform and inclined upward and forward, With conveyer belts operating in the platform and binder deck for feeding the grain to the binder mechanism.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved means for mounting the guides or gates which control the folding conveyer teeth and improved means for operating said guides or gates.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is an elevation looking at the face of the binder deck and showing the relative location of the guides and the conveyer chains therein, Fig. 2 is a plan view of. the same, Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the same, showing the mechanism for operating the guides, Fig. 4i. is a detail sectional view, showing a guide in its retracted position to allow the conveyer teeth to tilt and clear the bundle, Fig. 5 is a similar view. showing the guide in its projected or locking position, Fig. 6 is a detail View, illustrating the connection between a guide and a vertically movable channel bar that is actuated through the movement of the needle for retracting or projecting the guide, Fig. 7 is a detail, showing a guide and the manner of mounting it on the frame of the machine.

In the drawing, 2 represents the binder deck of the machine, of a type in general use and well known and to which I make no claim specifically. This deck is provided With a series of horizontal openings 3 in which conveyer belts 4 are mounted to move. At the receiving end of the binder deck an upright shaft 5 is provided, having sprocket Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Serial No. 57,715.

wheels 6 which engage the links of the conveyer chains and a similar shaft 7 having sprocket wheels 8 is mounted at the opposite end of the binder platform and has hearings in horizontal rails 9 between which and the deck upright bars 10 and 11 are arranged. A series of angle teeth 12 are pivotally mounted in the conveyer belts, and guides, composed of parallel bars 13, are hinged at ll on the upright bar 10 and eX tend through the openings 3 in the binder deck and form backings for the ends of the teeth 12 and hold them in a position at right angles substantially to the belts to engage and feed the stalks to the binding mechanism.

15 is an upright bar, preferably channelshaped. having longitudinal slots 15 therein to receive bolts 16 mounted in the horizontal bars 9 and on which bolts said channel bar is vertically slidable. Near the rear ends of the guide bars 13 I provide plates 17 and 18, secured thereto by suitable means. such as rivets 19, said plates having a socket 20 formed between them to receive a ball 21 on the end of a link 22. The socket has an opening 23 in the underside thereof to allow the link to swing down to a position nearly vertical, as indicated in Fig. 4. The other end of the link has a similar ball thereon and plates 24 are provided with a ball socket 25 between them to receive this end of the link and are suitably secured in the bottom of the channel bar. A recess 26 is formed in the upper side of the socket 25 to receive the shank of the link when it is swung to the nearly upright position shown in Fig. 4.

Each of the guides for the conveyer teeth 12 are pivotally connected in this way with the channel bar, so that when the channel bar is moved vertically, the guide bars will either be retracted to allow the teeth to tilt and release the stalks or will be projected to again engage the teeth and hold them in their working position, and by this mechanism the guide bar will be not only positively held against the folding teeth, but will be positively withdrawn from the path of the teeth when it is desirable to disengage the teeth from the corn stalks. In

' other words, the guide bars will be positively operated in both directions.

Any suitable means may be provided for operating the channel bar, but I prefer to provide a slide 27 mounted on the angle bar 9 and slidable on the horizontal flange thereof by means of a longitudinal slot 28 and a guide bolt 29. This slide has an upwardly projecting part provided with a cam slot 30 to receive a bolt 31 in the upper end of the channel bar. A link 32 pivotally connects the slide with the crank arm 33 on the shaft 34: of the needle 35. This insures the positive uniform movement of the channel bar to retract and project the guide bars away from and into the path of the pivoted conveyer teeth.

In the operation of the device, the corn stalks are brought along by the conveyer chains and the outwardly projecting teeth until they reach a point for delivery to the binder mechanism. At this point the guidebars, which hitherto have prevented the conveyer teeth from tilting, are retracted to allow the teeth to tilt and disengage themselves from the corn stalks and pass along around the sprocket wheels in the binder deck and back to the point where they will engage the next lot of stalks from the binder platform.

As soon as the conveyer teeth are clear of the stalks, the guide bars will be pushed outwardly, flush with the binder deck, where they will again engage the teeth and lock them in their projected working position.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a platform and binder deck and a conveyer belt provided with folding teeth, of a guide mounted in the rear of said belt and engaging said teeth, a bar mounted for vertical movement in the rear of said belt, and a link pivotally connecting said bar with said guide.

2. The combination. With a platform and binder deck, and a plurality of conveyer belts operating horizontally in said deck and provided with folding teeth, of swinging guide bars mounted in the rear of said belts and engaging said teeth to guide the same, a bar mounted for vertical movement in the rear of said guide-bars, and means pivotally connecting said guide bars with said vertically moving bar for positively retracting and projecting said guide bars.

3. The combination, with a platform and copies of this patent may be obtained for binder deck, and a plurality of conveyer belts operating horizontally in said deck and provided with folding teeth, of swinging guide bars mounted in the rear of said belts and engaging said teeth to guide the same, a bar mounted for vertical movement in the rear of said guide bars, and links having ball and socket bearings at their ends respectively in said guide bars and said vertically moving bar.

4. The combination, with a binder deck and conveyer belts operating therein provided wvith folding teeth, of guide bars hinged in said deck, a bar mounted for vertical movement in the rear of Said guidebars and pivotally connected therewith, a slide having a cam slot therein, a pin mounted in said vertically moving bar to enter said slide, and means for reciprocating said slide to operate said bar.

5. The combination, with a platform and binder deck and conveyer belts provided with folding teeth, of guides hinged at one end in the rear of said belts and having arms engaging said teeth and means for positively retracting said guides to allow said teeth to fold and. projecting said guides to hold said teeth in their feeding position.

6. The combination, with a platform, a binder deck and a plurality of conveyer belts operating horizontally in said deck and. provided with folding teeth, swinging guide bars mounted in the rear of said belts and engaging said teeth to guide the same, a member mounted for vertical movement in the rear of said guide bars and links connected at one end with said guide bars and at their other end with said vertically moving member, said links, when in a position at right angles substantially to said vertically moving member, holding said guide bars in their projected, operative position, and when swung to an inclined position with respect to said member retracting said guide bars to their inoperative position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of October, 1915.

JOHN H. DOVVNING Vitnesses R. B. MoPHETRns, Wu F. MAoKIN'rosu.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

